Apathy shouldn’t be a New Year resolution

As I enter my seventh year of writing weekly articles about anti-Semitism, I realize now more than ever before that the “oldest hatred” comes in many different flavors, but it leaves the same sour aftertaste. 2014 was filled with examples of global anti-Semitic incidents from words to deeds. It did go full spectrum from propaganda to Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions and tragically, from threats to rape and even murder. But did the world really care?

In our age of instant global communication, the eight o’clock News–once the king of the networks–now competes with the ever-pounding, ever-breathing, non-stop social networks. People do not want the whole story anymore; they simply want a catchy headline, clickable and expandable if necessary. By the time the eleven o’clock News come around, the stories are barely adequate to “wrap the fish” as they used to say in newspaper days!

Additionally, all of us have different interests, different agendas and different causes we are willing to fight for. What I mean is that even if a lot of news bites are available to us 24/7, we pick and choose based on our interest and completely ignore the rest.

But even when we focus on a particular topic of interest, we can rapidly become overwhelmed by the information floodgate opening on that topic. So much more is available to us at the click of a mouse or the swipe of a finger, and before we know it, we suffer from “information fatigue”.

Before anti-Semitism went global in the last couple of decades, anti-Jewish incidents were few and far in between. Maybe it was because we were still close enough to the Holocaust and collective guilt was still playing a part in the human psyche. But now things have changed. The few thousands who survived the “Jewish Catastrophe” have almost all passed away. Their witness might be real within their own family units, photo albums and retold stories, but they are being challenged by historical revisionists and Holocaust deniers. In some circles that are not necessarily anti-Semitic, you might even hear statements such as “Enough with the Holocaust!” or “Let’s move on!” And that is to only quote those who do not harbor negative feelings about Israel and the Jewish people.

So it appears that there is also a “Holocaust Fatigue” and even an “Israel Fatigue” and the danger is that even though the events continue to pour through the News spigots (whichever one you choose), the audience is becoming increasingly apathetic.

Apathy is running rampant in our western society., as people seek self-gratification through many venues within consumerism, but certainly do not want to be bothered with the truth about our sick and dying world.

Unfortunately, when it comes to global anti-Semitism, apathy places us in the proverbial pot of warm water with the rest of those who don’t say or do a thing. The pot is getting hotter as the world is looking at Israel and the Jewish people and remaining complacent. The pot is getting hotter as world governments look at the Islamic State and simply walk away with a simple shrug. The pot is getting hotter as Hamas is rebuilding its infrastructure with the same genocidal goal in mind (and using a lot of US money by the way!)

2015 shouldn’t be the year of apathy especially when it comes to anti-Semitism because that monster is multiplying exponentially in front of our eyes. In the last six weeks alone, France saw four air gun shootings at Jewish stores and/or restaurants as well as a rape, and this doesn’t include the under-reported or unreported events. Except for the Jewish community, nobody really seems to care.

They were only air guns you say? Well you are missing the point. The repeated shootings in broad daylight are really symptomatic of an anti-Semitic behavior. That behavior, guided by the wrong people under a specific set of circumstances has the potential of becoming lethal. A lot of people say that they do care but their voices aren’t heard. Has apathy taken over?

Iran continues to build the bomb as they use smoke and mirrors to make a credulous West believe that they are just seeking a better energy alternative. But we all know that they have Israel as a first target in their scope and the USA as their next one. But hey, Iran is far enough from our homes so please pass the pot roast and change the channel! Has apathy taken over?

Russia and the Ukraine are fighting for territorial hegemony while the European Union tries to come up with sanctions that will not backfire at them in terms of halted or reduced Russian exports.

I could use many other examples but I think that you are getting the idea: Apathy is everywhere!

Everywhere except when it comes to demonizing Israel and promoting a Palestinian cause that demands unilateral agreements and sanctions against Israel for “crimes against humanity”. Somehow, there seems to be enough people around on American campuses, in Hollywood, at the government level, in academia and even within the Christian Church, to get involved and vocal against Israel and the Jewish people.

It is time for those who cherish truth and live on a foundation of Judeo/Christian ethics to say and/or do something, because in a world where the radical Muslim wind of sharia is blowing hard and steady, apathy will lead to paralysis. After that my friend, we will just be sitting ducks!

…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15)